What are Matn, Sanad and Isnad?

In each hadith, there are two elements: sanad or isnad, and matn. Sanad or isnad is the chain of narrators of the hadith, while matn is the text of the hadith. take the following hadith reported by Al-Bukhari as an example:



Al-Bukhari reported that: Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us from Al-Layth from `Uqayl from Ibn Shuhba from `Urwah from `A’ishah who said, “Whenever the Prophet was given an option between two things, he used to select the easier of the two as long as it was not sinful; but if it was sinful, he would remain far from it.”


The phrase “Al-Bukhari reported that: Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us from Al-Layth from `Uqayl from Ibn Shuhba from `Urwah from `A’ishah who said” represents the chain of narrators or isnad.


The statement “Whenever the Prophet was given an option between two things…” represents the matnof the hadith.


Courtesy:http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1158658458467&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah/LSELayout